Please be careful with pressure cookers. Don't used powdered MHRB as it could clog the relief valve. Thats why you cant pressure cook beans, the hulls can come off and clog it. then kablooey..

This sticky topic talks about putting a glass jar inside a pressure cooker.
But putting the plant material and an acidified solution straight in the pressure cooker works also, isn't it ?

Does using a PC completely eliminate the need to reduce the acidic liquid down before basification? Given that you'd be using a lot less water (in a jar) than in a whole pot. Or would you still need to do that?

Thanks

Does using a PC completely eliminate the need to reduce the acidic liquid down before basification?...

I don't know how you'd feel about adding straight lye crystals

Are there any good methods of reducing while minimising the risk of acidic steam messing up my kitchen?

If you are willing to stand beside your pans the whole time, there is a technique for indoor boiling down of the tea that avoids producing huge amounts of steam, which can be an issue in areas with cold/damp winters. By having three sets of lids for each pan it is possible to use the lids as erstwhile condensers.

After allowing a maximum amount of condensation to build up before dripping occurs, the water can be wiped off the lid (lid 1) with a silicone spatula and saved for later use - it is distilled water, after all. Meanwhile, a previously water-cooled lid (lid 2) has been placed on the pan already. The freshly wiped but still hot lid (lid 1) is placed, preferably floated, on cold water. The third lid (lid 3, of course) has been removed from the cold water and dried so that it will be ready to place on the pan when the next lid (lid 2) is removed, wiped dry and placed on the cooling water. The cycle continues as long as necessary.

Why go to all this trouble? One benefit this procedure offers is prevention of a crusty build-up of drying cactus goo which slowly creeps up the side of the pan when evaporating without a lid. This goo also forms a thin crust on top of the cactus soup which slows evaporation. IME, the forced condensation onto a cold surface sped up the volume reduction quite noticeably, as well as greatly reducing the amount of steam escaping into the kitchen. If you have the time to commit, I would suggest giving it a try. It may be a viable domestic alternative to pilot-scale evaporation equipment you'd need otherwise.

Another alternative might be to fit a suitable condensing apparatus (still-head and condenser) onto a saucepan lid, but I'm not describing that here. A modicum of one's own research would be of benefit to anyone wanting to proceed in that direction.

- lid(s) of the jar(s) should be loose** but tightly wrapped with foil.

Please be careful with pressure cookers. Don't used powdered MHRB as it could clog the relief valve. Thats why you cant pressure cook beans, the hulls can come off and clog it. then kablooey..

Aetherbound

And my mother in law cooks her beans all the time in her aluminium pressure cooker. In Mexico, its the only way to cook beans ! Go figure... ? I think its a myth...